Wei William (Will) Tao|陶维

Canada is keeping families together while making our immigration system more sustainable. Starting March 31, we’re changing how we calculate a family’s income to decide if they qualify for a super visa: bit.ly/4srX1S6 The super visa lets parents and grandparents visit their family in Canada for longer stays. Families will now be able to choose 1 of 2 new ways to meet the financial requirement: •use income from either of the last 2 tax years •add the visiting parent’s or grandparent’s income if the host’s income is slightly below the requirement These changes make the super visa more equitable and accessible while ensuring parents and grandparents are financially supported during their stay. They apply to all applications processed on or after March 31, 2026.

April 8: @TheWillTruth on security screening, PFLs, mandamus strategy & key case law updates. 👉 lpen.ca/security-scree…

Alert for Refugee Practitioners: Undisclosed Use of Generative AI in PRRA Decisions. I'll be discussing this development (and more) for the advanced session on refugee & PRRA at this year's CBA National Immigration Conference in Ottawa. Looking forward to the insights and feedback from my colleagues. sshlaw.ca/alert-for-refu…

Sounds like the Canucks and City of Vancouver are close to an agreement to build a practice facility at Britannia Rink. It will include a state of the art gym, off ice training facility, lounge and locker room. The build will also include office space for the city.

I just gave a closed-book, pen-and-paper midterm exam in my 300-level course at UBC with 100 students. All exams were graded by an experienced graduate-level TA according to a rubric. *** The average was 64/100.*** My class averages at UBC are usually 80-85. Context: • This was the first midterm, covering ONLY 4 weeks of material. • Students had a list of possible questions in advance: no surprise questions. • Questions included (a) 3 concept definitions, (b) 3 paragraph-long questions, and (c) a 1.5-page essay. • I have taught this class multiple times. Nothing in my teaching style changed this semester. • We read entire paragraphs of text in class, so students don't have to do something on their own that wasn't covered during the lecture. • Students take a 10-question multiple-choice quiz at the end of every class (30% of the final grade). • Attendance is 95-99% every class. Attention during lectures and participation in pair-work activities are very high → anticipating the end-of-class quiz. *** But unfortunately, I suspect many students are not reading the material on the syllabus. They are asking LLMs to summarize it instead.*** After the midterm, students reported: • They thought they knew concept definitions but couldn't produce them on paper. • They thought they understood the arguments but struggled to connect them or identify points of agreement and disagreement. My view: It might be “cool” or “innovative” to teach students to summarize readings with ChatGPT or write essays with Claude. But we may be doing them a disservice: reducing their ability to retain material, think creatively, and reason from what they know. If you only read what AI has summarized for you, you don’t truly "know" the material. Moving forward: We have a second midterm coming up. I don't know how to convey to students that the best way to do better on the exam is to rely on and improve their own reading skills.

@jon_trueblood @MarkJCarney @CitImmCanada @Dave_Eby @Taleeb Email me -info@heronlaw.ca. I’ll triage!

@TheWillTruth @MarkJCarney @CitImmCanada @Dave_Eby @Taleeb Please do. We've done a couple consultations that have been...hit or miss, so any rec. would be appreciated. Any other words of advice? We are so panicked.

We just want to go to our wedding and come home. If anyone has experience navigating IRCC processing issues or knows who can help, we'd really appreciate it. Story in the image. #IRCC #CanadianImmigration #CUSMA #ImmigrationMatters @MarkJCarney @CitImmCanada @Dave_Eby @Taleeb

@jon_trueblood @MarkJCarney @CitImmCanada @Dave_Eby @Taleeb Not a bad idea - I could reco a few where you live. The outside while inside applications tend to be triaged inconsistently.

@TheWillTruth @MarkJCarney @CitImmCanada @Dave_Eby @Taleeb Do you think it would help at all to get an immigration lawyer such as yourself? All indications seem to be that the best anyone can do is request info, but speeding up the process at this point is impossible.

@jon_trueblood @MarkJCarney @CitImmCanada @Dave_Eby @Taleeb Sure - makes more sense now but still curious as to the CUSMA/GSS thing and how you filled the WP form!

@TheWillTruth @MarkJCarney @CitImmCanada @Dave_Eby @Taleeb We applied via outside stream to get into the GSS queue. The only benefit of applying via inside stream would be to maintain status, which we'd lose anyways while out of the country for the wedding. I'm happy to send more details via dm if you'd like. Hard to reply in 250 chars.

We’ve introduced a new set of targeted measures that allow eligible Iranians in Canada to apply to extend their work permit so they can continue to contribute to Canadian communities and the labour market while the situation in Iran remains uncertain. Learn more: bit.ly/4l58xzK

"@Stanford’s Geomatch #algorithm is designed to predict the probability of success of new immigrants, incl refugees, in locations [using] information on past immigrants and their experiences, along with the work history, education and personal characteristics of new arrivals."🤔

Lack of clarity on how immigration officials use automated tools leads lawyers to launch monitoring org canadianlawyermag.com/news/general/l…

Via IRCC recently published AI Strategy: The department is experimenting with "machine learning tools" to detect anomalies and possible manipulation of documents, such as academic records and bank statements. ... Looks like more misrepresentation findings are on the way ... canada.ca/en/immigration…

Canada’s first Inuit-led university will be a game changer for the North.

Canada just watched hockey’s version of the Blue Jays’ World Series loss.

I am deeply saddened by the passing of a dear friend, Anthony M.M. Remedios, respected lawyer, steadfast community advocate, and a founding director of the Filipino Legacy Society, proponent of a Filipino cultural centre in Vancouver. Condolences to the family of Anthony.

Sudanese are dying as they await processing under Canada's family reunification program

Our #cdnimm system must also be more accountable for the commitments we have to support those seeking refuge from Sudan. Right now it’s not set up to succeed.

Happy Lunar New Year Office Lunch!!

The Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, will make an announcement related to immigration Express Entry categories on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 12:40 ET canada.ca/en/immigration…